Good news for the lovers of Umkhokha

Although it premiered only recently, towards the end of 2021. Umkhokha has already secured its place at the top of TV charts in Mzansi. Now, it looks like its reign is set to continue, following the recent announcement.

Entertainment commentator Phil Mphela has broken the news that there is work in progress to expand the Mzansi Magic limited series into a telenovela/ soapie. He has also revealed that the show will possibly be written by Bongi Ndaba, one of Mzansi’s best screenwriters, who is also the brain behind the long-running hit soapie Generations.

BREAKING NEWS:

Umkhokha turning into a telenovela

I can confirm that plans are underway to expand the popular Mzansi Magic series into a telenovela.

Word is, prolific writer Bongi Ndaba has been touted as possible Head Writer for the telenovela iteration. #KgopoloReports pic.twitter.com/KywpEoVjtc

— Kgopolo (@PhilMphela) February 1, 2022

The show stars Deli Malinga, Sibonile Ngubanea, and Sthandiwe Kgoroge as MaNzimande, among others. As of January 2022, the show had surpassed DSTV’s The Queen in viewership, with them coming in with 967K to 937k viewers, respectively. At the time, fans applauded the show for its different and exciting storyline, which keeps them hooked and watching week after week.

Following the announcement, Phil has expressed his scepticism about the move to turn the limited series into a soapie. He said that the show was fast paced enough to work well as a limited series, which is why it attracted such a big audience. The world is transitioning towards shorter TV series if trends in international TV viewership are anything to go by, so it was great to see a show that subverted what is regularly done on South African shows.

He further suspected that for the show to turn into a telenovela, the storyline would need to slow down significantly so they don’t run out of content. But that would ruin the magic of the show, and potentially jeopardise the very thing for which it is greatly loved.

However, he also said that since the show would probably be in the hands of Bongi Ndaba, he felt a measure of peace with the decision. And if Phil, a TV guru, trusts her, who are we to doubt her talent?

But, with what Bongi Ndaba did with Erased on MOJA Love, I trust her as a good storyteller.

It’s no secret Im a huge fan of Umkhokha. Chris Radebe did a brilliant job with season 1.

I’m excited for the cast, but I gotta be honest, I prefer the show as a series#KgopoloReports

— Kgopolo (@PhilMphela) February 1, 2022

Even so, Phil has recently pleaded with Mzansi film and TV industry executives to think about changing the format of local TV shows to what the current audiences are begging for. He gave the example of the Korean show Squid Game, the latest global phenomenon in TV, which hit with one season made of only 10 episodes.

Change the game!

The excuse can’t be; shows become telenovelas because actors need steady work.

Viewers are tired of soapies & telenovelas. I know they pull numbers but we need a new wave of star vehicles in Mzansi.

Limited series are the future! Please

— Kgopolo (@PhilMphela) February 1, 2022

Korean series outchea pulling numbers and breaking records.

Looks like “All Of Us Are Dead” is gunning for Squid Games’ throne worldwide.

Mzansi, Africa, vukani!

Stop making the same type of shows with actors talking too much and no effort in breaking the formulaic style! pic.twitter.com/zoWKCwOmTU

— Kgopolo (@PhilMphela) January 31, 2022

The intensity of a fast-paced storyline – which is necessary if a show is to be a limited series – is more likely to keep viewers engaged. Much better than those shows where viewers can go months without watching, and when they finally return, easily pick up from where they left off because the plot takes forever to develop.

#Umkhokha: Dead body’s whipping confuses Mzansi

The whipping of a body has left Mzansi shocked and confused.

The shocking scene played out on Mzansi Magic in a drama series called Umkhokha.

This was the second episode, and it showed Mamzobe preparing to whip her daughter, Xolile, after she had hanged herself.

The episode left a number of people shocked and confused because they did not understand why someone who hanged themself had to be whipped.

Nomsa Makupani said the episode reminded her of her loss.

“Today’s episode just brought back the pain of finding my son hanging from the roof and everybody telling me to whip him.

Anathi Dube wrote: “Why is the deceased being whipped, I am so confused.”

The producer of the show, Mandla KaNoZulu, said the purpose of such episodes is to “mirror society, to provoke a scrutiny of society and to teach society about itself. It is very interesting that many people have been asking the meaning of umkhokha and how to deal with it after this episode”.

“This means we are achieving our goal of having society discuss a matter that is mostly treated privately and many people have no idea how to deal with it,” he said.

He described umkhokha as an “established ritual in African culture”.

“It is common to whip the body of someone who has committed suicide as a way of ensuring the act does not become a vicious cycle in the family. It is feared and believed that if you don’t perform this ritual, umkhokha follows your family and that’s the premise of our story,” he said.

He encouraged viewers to continue watching the show to find out if umkhokha has been triggered and if so, who should pay the price.

Umkhokha drama series labeled an insult to the Shembe church

Umkhokha drama series labeled an insult to the Shembe church,. The banger new series on Mzansi Magic, Umkhokha has been labeled an insult to the Shembe Church by its members. Umkhokha, which premiered on the 3rd of October, is fast becoming a fan’s favorite.

The series has had a lot of positive reviews from fans all over social media. Many fans tweeted about how Umkhokha mimics the Shembe church. Some fans went from wondering how the church would receive the series. Is Umkhokha imitating the famous South African church? Let us look at what the drama series and the church have in common that has made people think so.

The Shembe church, founded by Johannes Galilee Shembe, has had many leadership problems since he died. The church has been divided into two groups and currently into three. In 2011, a legal battle about who was going to take over leadership began. A ruling was only passed in 2016 that Vela Shembe was the legitimate leader, but some congregants ignored this ruling and continued being led by Mduduzi Shembe.

Umkhokha portrays the fight for leadership after Mvelase, the leader of the church, passes on. Even though Sphamandla is the legitimate successor to lead his father’s church, he is fought by some church leaders, and some congregants even protest against his succession.

The Shembe church in 2017 landed a deal with Vodacom, a mobile communication company where the Vela Shembe faction would distribute Vodacom products and services. The Shembe family representative stated that the church has 6.7 million members, and approximately 2.4 of them are subscribed to Vodafone. Umkhokha drama series starts with the second in command sharing news of bottled holy water sold at the church. A beverage company would have had a deal with the church to package the water and distribute it to the church members.

The spokesperson of the Shembe church told the Daily Sun that, ‘This is not allowed. We respect our religion and its leaders, but this is making a mockery of it. A committee has already been set up to deal with this.” However, the show’s producer had this to say, ‘For us, the reaction has been amazing. We didn’t expect the show to attract so much attention before the first episode.’